New Kitchen - need suggestions

[kjsgrammy]

We will soon be in the process of updating our kitchen - long story, water damage due to broken pipes - waiting for final word from insurance company on what they pay for. Anyway . . .

Not even sure where to begin - what type of counter tops? Cabinets? Appliances?

Our condo is in Sarasota, FL. Currently have "cheap" particle board/laminate cabinets and countertops. Had planned to update kitchen in the next couple of years, but looks like we'll be doing it sooner than expected. When insurance adjustor was here to assess damage, it seemed that he agreed that we would need new lower cabinets, and because the cabinets are so old, and the old cabinets can't be matched, insurance will cover the upper cabinets as well. We'll have to cover cost for countertops as that wasn't damaged by the water. But again, no final word from insurance on what will be covered.

Who has recently remodeled, and what brands did you consider? Did you go with quartz or granite for countertops? Any websites that you would recommend for comparing cabinet styles/manufacturers?

Never having done anything like this before, any suggestions would be helpful.

Where does one begin to choose between all the options?!?!?!?

 

[Rose Pink]

I feel for you. I've been looking at kitchen options for years so that I can be ready when the time comes. I think you need to start with a budget--that's the first thing the kitchen designers/sellers will ask you. I had cabinets priced and they came to around 45 thousand dollars. Sheesh! Back to the drawing board. That price didn't even include flooring, appliances, etc. Just today, DH and I were pricing a couple of built-in bookcase cabinets and got quotes from $1600 to $4700 depending on style, finish and manufacturer.

Get the check from your insurer and decide how much you want to add to that for your project. In the meantime, go to Lowe's, Home Depot, Ikea to get an idea of what is out there in the moderate price ranges (none of them are my favorite stores but they do have computer designers that can do a mock up for you on their computers and do price quotes for you). That will give you an idea of what it may cost.

You'll save money if you can re-use your current appliances.

As for countertops, I plan to go with granite although you may be just as happy with laminate--there are so many choices in laminate these days. You can go to the granite warehouses in your area (look in your yellow pages) and maybe get lucky with a piece that is on sale.

Are you using your same kitchen layout and floor plan or are you doing a remodel--meaning reconfiguration, knocking down walls or building new ones, etc? That will add substantially to your cost. (You mentioned "update" and you also mentioned "remodel." Two different things.) If your current layout works, keep it, as it will be cheaper. Also, consider what your condo HOA regulations allow. For that matter, has anyone else in your condo neighborhood redone their kitchen? Do you like what they did? Ask them for their experience and suggestions.

Best of luck. This is not an easy thing--so many choices.

 

[Passepartout]

Go with a reputable contractor. Do not try to play General Contractor yourself. Get 3 bids. Have them show you samples of cabinet doors, hardware, countertops, colors, wallpaper, pictures of appliances etc. Make a board with all the samples from each bid attached so you can compare them side-by-side.

Make sure that the job can be completed in a timely manner and that you can live elsewhere. A kitchen remodel while trying to live there is a pain! (Experience speaking here)

That said, we love our solid surface countertops and under-mounted quartz (Silestone) sink. Many people love granite, but it needs sealed annually, and will stain if something acidic spills on it.

You may be able to save some $$ by keeping the upper cabinets and replacing the doors to match the new lower ones.

Good luck! You will love having a new kitchen and it will increase the value of your place by about as much as you put into it.

Jim Ricks

 

[Rose Pink]

Cabinets

Another thought about cabinets--there is no rule that says the top and bottom cabinets have to match, meaning being identical in finish and style. Some of the more upscale showrooms I've been to, have kitchen layouts with either the top or the bottom being painted and the other stained. It gives more of a custom furniture feel than the standard matching line-up. If your top cabinets are not damaged and you like how they function, consider just changing the bottom ones to something that will compliment the style. You can paint or stain your upper cabinets to get a new look or even have them refaced. Refacing is less expensive than buying a whole new box.

Go to model homes and kitchen showrooms to get more ideas.

 

[Rose Pink]

...
You may be able to save some $$ by keeping the upper cabinets and replacing the doors to match the new lower ones.

Jim Ricks

We were posting at the same time re the cabinets!

As for living somewhere else while the remodel is taking place, I will add Amen and Amen! We've been slowly remodeling this house for almost 17 years and doing a major portion this past month. Everything is covered in dust. I am feeling very irritable and I wish I could have lived somewhere else this past month.

 

[lvhmbh]

www.gardenweb.com and go to the home forums. There is a wealth of info from people in like circumstances. I relied on them alot when building our house. Linda

 

[kjsgrammy]

Thanks for the responses! Never even considered keeping the upper cabinet frames and refacing - will look into that.

Also, yes, we are keeping the exact layout - no tearing down of walls - I like the existing layout which is a plus.

Definately need to replace appliances - the existing ones are over 20 years old - have already had to replace refrigerator since we got here in October. Dishwasher has been out of commission since before Thanksgiving (parts are on back order!), so we knew that was on the "soon to buy list". Stove is a one piece stove/microwave oven and I'm waiting for that to conk out also.

Just wish insurance company would make a decision on what they will cover - I HATE this waiting game!

 

[Rose Pink]

...
Also, yes, we are keeping the exact layout - no tearing down of walls - I like the existing layout which is a plus.

That takes alot of the guesswork out of it. If you plan to use the same configuration with the same cabinet dimensions (meaning you plan to replace a bank of drawers with another bank of drawers, for example) you can simply measure what you have and take your list to one of the big box stores or a kitchen remodeling store. Most manufacturers use the same dimensions so it is easy to compare prices of a cabinet in many different door and finish options among the different manufacturers. This will give you an idea of what you can afford and help you narrow your choices to those that fit within your price range.

 

[Rose Pink]

Floor?

Are you needing to replace your flooring? If so, have you made a decision re that?

 

[Conan]

We've just finished ours. Very stressful and chaotic!

We worked with a designer, but he insisted that we provide input so the finished product would reflect our taste a well as his.

A good starting point is to look at hundreds of finished designs, in books and on the web.

Here are some bookmarks:
http://www.myhomeideas.com/myhome/photos/0,30587,1703367,00.html

http://finishedkitchens.blogspot.com/

http://www.thekitchendesigner.org/

 

[Andar]

I know some will think I am crazy, but we just remodeled our kitchen, then sold the house the next year. We moved into a brand new home.

We put in composite counter tops. Used a product called Starion. It looked like granite and I even had to correct a number of realtors that showed the house. The advantage was it was half the cost of granite and much easier to maintain. It did not need sealing and did not stain. (Our new house has granite and I sure wish I had the Starion back).


We did not put in double ovens. I am getting too old for the big Christmas dinners and even then I would only use them once or twice a year.
Instead I put in two microwaves. The contractor thought I was nuts.
Best thing I ever did. We use the microwave to cook, reheat, etc. etc.
With two of us, I can put our plates in at the same time and be ready to eat at the same time. I really, really, miss two microwaves!

If you are going to replace appliances get a dishwasher that is a eye level. They are amazing. While I did not do this, my girlfriend did and I love it. It really saves the back!

The other thing that surprised me in the process was our contractor had a "lighting consultant" come out before they changed lights. He had me stand where I would cook, clean, be at the bar, etc. Then he measured where shadows would fall. So when all the can lights were in, they gave direct light and were perfect. I would have never thought of that.

I second, hiring a good contractor!

 

[silvib]

When we built our current house, 2005, we were given an allowance by the builder if we didn't want to use his sub-contractors for specific things. We went to Home Depot, they designed our kitchen, cabinets are natural hickory and are beautiful and we did granite countertops. They use a granite place in Ft. Myers and we went there to choose our slab! Home Depot's service was excellent, the quality of their product just fine - they have different levels depending on much much you want to spend. It worked out substantially less expensive than a couple of kitchen companies I got quotes from.

 

[pjrose]

Research, research, research, then plan, plan, plan. Work with a good contractor/designer - the operative word here is WITH - so you can toss around ideas, make changes, etc until you are happy.

Besides updating, we wanted more light and counter space. Home Depot and Lowe's, and both came up with the same layout with a few minor tweaks. Their plans had various problems - misplaced venting and others I can't recall. They weren't knowledgeable about doing a new design or complete remodel; they were in the business of selling the stuff.

We went to two independent kitchen remodelers. One seemed more interested in replacing what we already had. The people at the other business were clearly more knowledgeable in terms of the remodel, the architecture, the design, as well as the plumbing, electricity, etc. The plan was much more detailed, and we went into shock when we saw the price that went along with the first set of plans.

We went around and around with this for well over a year - just updating the cabinets and counters was not going to solve the light and space problems - but the structural work needed was much more expensive.

Eventually we went back to the expensive business, and never looked back. They worked with us for as long as it took to get the plans just right - and believe me it took awhile. I'd see something in a magazine or on display, and ask if it would work, and I'd get a knowledgeable answer.

We spent more than we would have at the big box stores, but we got a superb design that was the result of a great partnership between us, the designer, and the carpenter/installer who did some tweaking on site. If it didn't look quite the way I wanted as it went in, down it came, and he changed it. If we wanted to add or delete something, that's what happened. We didn't have the recommended clearance for a peninsula, but the carpenter put a cardboard cut-out on saw horses and we messed with the size until we got something big enough to use, but not too big to block the pathway. We didn't realize it at the time, but our designer was the president of the national kitchen/bath designers or some such organization .

We ended up with a much better design and much better quality in terms of the hidden stuff - wiring, better lighting, more outlets (which are all under-cabinet so they don't show), etc etc. Almost 10 years later the kitchen looks brand-new, has lots of light and lots of counter space. We spent more than we would have at the box stores, but haven't regretted a bit of it.

We have cherry cabinets - light honey stain - to the ceiling with narrow crown molding, and doors completely covering the framing, and simple wood knobs stained the same, so it's a clean look. Fairly light Corian counters and sink (I love not having seams). Lighting and outlets are all under-cabinet. The sink and stove are both cornered at opposite ends of a 12' long countertop. The much-needed light comes, in part, from a cabinet with glass doors on both sides that goes between the kitchen and dining room (the dining room has glass doors to the outside).

Oh - and part of our design came from timesharing! I had a vision of a pass-through counter-top opening between the kitchen and dining room, but I didn't want it open at counter-top level, because I didn't want to see the dirty dishes etc from the dining room. We added a maybe 1' wall at the back of the counter, on the dining room side - I didn't know the source of my idea till the next year at the Royal Caribbean when I realized it was the Royal's kitchen-dining room pass through!

 

[UWSurfer]

In our previous home, we took on remodling work ourselves which involved updating some electrical, re-doing the kitchen, bathroom and a full coper re-pipe. Fortunately my FIL is a retired handiman and did most of the work. Unfortunately he was the type who would get one project 80% completed and then get distracted and start another without finishing the first. We had several projects like this going for over two years until we had an opportunity to move to our present house we couldn't pass up. In the end we ended up spending nearly 8 months fixing up the house we live in now, moved in and then rushed to finish and spruce up the old home which we sold.

In the old, the kitchen got new lower cabinets, new floor, underlayment, a new pantry as well as updated plumbing and electrical. We basically gutted everything below the upper cabinets down to the sub floor and started over. We were on a tight budget and ended up with laminent over 21' of new counter top and used Home Depot cabinetry for the lower cabinets. Then we painted the face of both the upper and lower cabinets to match and go with the laminent color we choose as well as matching flooring. It came together quite well even though it wasn't solid surface and we told ourselves when doing it, it would be an interim solution until we had more money down the road. As it turned out, we ended up selling it and it didn't handicap us as most of the critical things in the house were new including the roof! We installed a new inexpensive dishwasher as the last thing in the kitchen...in fact I left the cling-on protective coating and never actually used it other than to verify the thing worked after I installed it.

If I had to do it again, I would have put the sink under the countertop instead of sitting on top. Again this was a budget decision, but I was never happy with how it functioned and cleaned up vs: an under counter design. Lighting as mentioned before is a big thing, and fortunately I was able to put in can lights myself...electrical work being a strong suit of mine.

We sold that house just as the market was just starting to head downwards from the peak here...and the main reason we were successful in selling it was the improvements were made with the intention that we'd be living in it for some time to come. Often we didn't get the most top quality components, but put it together so it was very functional and desirable.

I however am happy our construction phase of our life is behind us for now.

 

[Karen G]

I've lived through two kitchen remodels and had another kitchen refacing job at the home we live in now before we moved into it. We were very pleased with Home Depot on two of those jobs. The other one was about 23 years ago and I don't recall there even being a Home Depot where we lived then.

In our home in Washington we had Corian countertops and sink and we were very happy with it. But, we have granite now and like it so much more. Our current house was rented out for five years before we moved into it and nothing special was ever done to the granite. There are no stains on it anywhere. It's easy to keep and always looks great.

We had Home Depot do the refacing project on our current home and they did an outstanding job. Since you get new doors and drawers it's just like having new cabinets. We also added crown molding and that makes such a nice look.

The main advice I'd give about any remodeling project is to take whatever finish date they give you and double it. That way you won't be disappointed when it's not done when they say it will be.

 

[kjsgrammy]

Are you needing to replace your flooring? If so, have you made a decision re that?

No, not replacing our tile flooring - though we are expecting that the insurance company is going to cover having it cleaned and grout resealed. There didn't appear to be any damage to the tile.

Again, want to thank everyone who responded!

Appreciate the websites suggested and will be checking them out.

 

[pjrose]

The main advice I'd give about any remodeling project is to take whatever finish date they give you and double it. That way you won't be disappointed when it's not done when they say it will be.

Do that with the price as well. Even with signed contracts and agreed-on price, there are often changes or unexpected problems that will up the price.

 

[SpikeMauler]

You can't go wrong with Granite for a counter top.It looks great, but is a little pricey.Remember, kitchens are the most important room in the house(along with bathrooms).

 

[pittle]

I also recommend re-facing the top cabinets with new doors. We did this ourselves at or condo using doors we ordered from Lowe's. They have many that match the full sets that they sell. Any contractor can get matching doors for your new cabinets.

Like someone said - get several bids. CHECK references. We got burned once by choosing someone that was at a "Home Show". Once they started, they were doing a terrible job. They bailed after I complained about their workmanship and we had to hire someone else to finish the job. That cost us even more.

I have granite because it was already in the house we bought this summer, but also prefer solid surface, or even formica that looks like graninte for countertops.

 

[rlblack]

We had a major water damage in our condo- the restoration company had to remove the bottom cabinets to check for sheet rock damage in walls the cabinets were not damaged by water- they broke the counter top in process- insurance paid for new counter top- so don't assume they won't pay for new one- since it will be almost impossible to remove the damaged cabinets and not break the counter top.

When you are dealing with water damage- be sure all wet areas are dryed completely- and all water damaged sheet is removed- dry underneath- and replaced. Mold is not a happy thing,

From my experience- you, your insurance adjustor, and the company- will have a long relationship.

Good luck- after our experience- sure to feel for our situation- Ruth

 

[Malibu Sky]

Check this out http://www.knx1070.com/pages/32263.php?videoEpisodeId=11

Local radio food host did some videos on her own kitchen remodel...this may give you some ideas.

I recently re-did my kitchen on my own; if I had to do it over again I would have hired a professional designer..lots of small things were missed or done in the wrong order...the small details make all the difference!!

Good luck...you will need it!!